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The Crispy Vietnamese Chả Giò That Welcomes Us Home

Published on July 30, 2026
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The Crispy Vietnamese Chả Giò That Welcomes Us Home
Prep: 60 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 12 Servings

Tết, the Lunar New Year, is the biggest holiday on the calendar. It’s the Vietnamese equivalent of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year, all rolled into one festival stretching roughly two weeks. In Vietnam, every family celebrates Tết with lots of food consumed in multiple rounds of feasting. The one favorite dish everyone looks forward to is chả giò.

Ingredients

  • 1 (16-ounce) package refrigerated or frozen lumpia or spring roll wrappers (not egg roll wrappers, about 30 wrappers)
  • 1 bundle (1 1/2 ounces) dried cellophane noodles (also known as bean thread noodles or Chinese vermicelli)
  • 3 large eggs, divided
  • 8 ounces carrots (3 medium)
  • 3 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms
  • 3 ounces fresh black fungus or cloud-ear mushrooms
  • 2 medium shallots
  • 4 to 5 cloves garlic
  • 8 ounces uncooked peeled and deveined shrimp
  • 1 pound ground pork, preferably pork shoulder
  • 8 ounces lump crab meat (if not available, substitute with additional chopped shrimp)
  • 3 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 cups (32 ounces) sunflower or rice bran oil, divided
  • Nuoc cham (Recipe below)
  • Cooked dried thin rice vermicelli noodles
  • Green leaf lettuce leaves
  • Fresh mint sprigs
  • Fresh cilantro
  • Pickled carrots and daikon

Instructions

  1. If frozen, ​​​thaw 16 ounces lumpia or spring roll wrappers in the refrigerator until you can separate the sheets, about 3 hours.
  2. Place 1 bundle (1 1/2 ounces) dried cellophane noodles in a medium bowl and add enough warm water to cover. Let soak until pliable while you prepare the remaining filling ingredients.
  3. Beat 2 of the large eggs in a large bowl. Prepare the following, adding each to the bowl as you complete it: Trim and finely dice 3 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms (about 1 cup). Trim and thinly slice 3 ounces fresh black fungus or cloud-ear mushrooms (about 1 cup). Peel and finely chop 8 ounces carrots (about 1 1/2 cups). Peel and finely dice 2 medium shallots (about 1/2 cup). Finely chop 4 to 5 garlic cloves (1 tablespoon).
  4. Drain the noodles, cut into 2-inch lengths with kitchen shears, and add to the bowl. Stir to combine.
  5. Finely chop 8 ounces uncooked peeled and deveined shrimp and add to the bowl. Add 1 pound ground pork, 8 ounces lump crab meat, 3 tablespoons fish sauce, and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Mix with your hands until thoroughly combined, but do not overmix.
  6. Beat the remaining 1 large egg in a small bowl. Remove the wrappers from the package and place on a work surface or plate. Cover with a damp paper towel to keep from drying out. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
  7. Place one wrapper on the work surface in a diamond shape (keep the remaining wrappers covered with the towel). Place 3 tablespoons of the filling 3 inches from the bottom corner and form into a 4-inch long log. Fold the bottom corner up and over the filling, pulling the wrapper taut over the filling. Fold the left and right sides over the filling so the points overlap at the center and crease the sides so it now looks like an envelope. Roll from the bottom up into a tightly log, stopping when you get close to the top and you have a small triangle left. Dip a finger into the egg (or use a brush) and use it to dampen the triangle, then finish rolling all the way up (the egg wash will help “glue” the wrapper together).
  8. Transfer the chả giò to the baking sheet seam-side down. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling (they can stack and be touching on the baking sheet).
  9. Heat 3 cups of the sunflower oil in a large high-sided skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until 350ºF. (If you don’t have a thermometer, gently dip a wooden spoon or chopstick in the oil: If little bubbles form on the wood, the oil is ready.) Meanwhile, line a second baking sheet with a rack and top the rack with a paper towel.
  10. Fry in batches of 8: Carefully add the chả giò to the hot oil one at a time. Fry, turning them occasionally with tongs, until cooked through and an even golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer the chả giò to the paper towels. Add the remaining 1 cup oil to the pan after the second batch. Let cool for about 5 minutes before serving. Serve with nuoc cham for dipping and cooked rice noodles, lettuce, mint, cilantro, and pickled carrots and daikon if desired.

Recipe Stats

  • Jul 30, 2026
  • Prep: 60 mins
  • Cook: 30 mins
  • Servings: 12 Servings
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